Describing Uniqueness: English Vocabulary List

new and unlike anything else

"A novel approach was taken."

"The engineer came up with a novel solution to the problem that nobody had ever tried before and it worked perfectly."

unmatched in quality or excellence

"His skill is unrivaled."

"The museum has an unrivaled collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and scholars come from all over the world to study them."

original and pioneering in a certain field, often setting a new standard for others to follow

"The research is groundbreaking."

"The scientist's groundbreaking research opened up an entirely new field of study and many young researchers have followed in her footsteps."

not familiar or used to a particular situation, environment, or activity

"I am unaccustomed to this."

"The city dweller was unaccustomed to the quiet of the countryside and she could not sleep because the silence was too loud."

uncommon or not customary

"He showed unwonted kindness."

"The normally shy child showed unwonted confidence during the school play and her parents were amazed by her performance on stage."

having distinctive or peculiar habits, behaviors, or features that are unusual but often appealing

"She has a quirky sense of humor."

"The artist has a quirky sense of humor and his paintings often include strange creatures doing unusual things in everyday situations."

not consistent with what is considered to be expected

"The result is anomalous."

"The test results were anomalous and the scientist repeated the experiment three times to confirm that the data was accurate."

unconventional or unusual, often in an interesting way

"He has an offbeat style."

"The comedian's offbeat jokes about everyday life made the audience laugh because nobody had ever thought about those things in that way before."

departing from established customs, norms, or expectations

"His behavior is deviant."

"The psychologist studied deviant behavior in adolescents and he found that family relationships played a crucial role in preventing antisocial actions."

strikingly unusual in a way that goes beyond the usual bounds of taste or style

"Her outfit is outre."

"The fashion designer's outre creations shocked the audience at the show but some critics praised her for pushing the boundaries of style."

not adhering to established traditions or norms

"He is nonconformist."

"The nonconformist artist refused to follow any of the traditional rules of painting and his work was rejected by many galleries."

not in accordance with established traditions or conventional practices

"Her methods are unorthodox."

"The teacher used unorthodox methods to help her students learn including games music and role playing and the results were excellent."

unconventional or strange in a way that is striking or shocking

"His story is outlandish."

"The politician's outlandish proposal was immediately rejected by the parliament because nobody believed that it could actually work in practice."

very average and without any notable qualities

"It is a run-of-the-mill product."

"The hotel was run-of-the-mill with nothing special to recommend it but the price was cheap and the location was convenient for tourists."

lacking excitement or variety

"My job is humdrum."

"The office worker was tired of his humdrum routine and he decided to quit his job and travel around the world for a year."

existing or occurring commonly

"The prevailing wind is strong."

"The prevailing opinion among voters is that the economy needs immediate attention from the government."

very common or typical

"It is a garden-variety cold."

"The doctor said it was just a garden-variety cold and that the patient should rest drink fluids and wait for it to pass."

beyond what is ordinary and indicating the inference of supernatural powers

"Her resemblance is uncanny."

"The resemblance between the two strangers was uncanny and they discovered that they were actually long lost twins who had been separated at birth."

widely acknowledged as valid or customary

"This is an established fact."

"The established procedure for handling customer complaints requires the manager to respond within twenty four hours of receiving the written complaint."

widely accepted or popular among the general public

"His views are mainstream."

"The band's music was too experimental for mainstream radio stations but they gained a loyal following among fans of indie rock and alternative music."

not appropriate or attractive, often in a way that goes against accepted standards or social norms

"His behavior is unbecoming."

"The soldier's behavior was unbecoming of an officer and he was demoted for acting in a way that brought shame to his unit."